1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to automobile type vehicle suspension systems and more particularly to an improved independent rear suspension system which develops negative wheel camber during both jounce and rebound excursions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In passenger car suspensions, engineers typically work toward designs which combine desired suspension performance and maximum flexibility of application, minimum space requirement, and maximum economy. With respect to performance, three important suspension characteristics are resistance to dive and squat during braking and acceleration, roll steer during turning maneuvers, and wheel camber control during jounce and rebound excursions. There have, of course, been many systems proposed which are directed specifically to control of some or all of these characteristics. Most pertinently, there has been proposed one suspension system having trailing control arms with wheel-spindle supports pivoted to the control arms and another suspension system having laterally extending control arms with wheel spindle supports pivoted to the control arms. In the system having trailing arms, each spindle support is cross connected to the opposite trailing arm so that, while providing negative wheel camber in jounce and rebound, the system is not independent and requires excessive space for the cross connections. In the system having lateral control arms, camber control is effected in accordance with well known principles of four bar linkage arrangements which permit negative wheel camber in jounce and rebound but lack desired economy because of the number of components required. A suspension system according to this invention represents an improvement over these and other known suspension systems.